Light Brings Salt

Volume 3, Issue 29 July 17, 2005

Iron Range Bible Church

Dedicated to the Systematic Exposition of the Word of God

Dear American soldier in Iraq

Dennis Prager

I am writing to you simply as a fellow American. In just about every way, I am quite typical. I am a married man with three children, believe in God and love my country. I differ, however, from many Americans in a couple of ways. First, my vocation -- radio talk show host and columnist -- makes me a professional communicator. So I might be able to say things that most other Americans feel but could not communicate quite as clearly. Second, and more important, I suspect that more than some Americans, though hardly more than President Bush and his administration, I am keenly aware of the fragility of civilization, of the monumental evil you are fighting, and of the historic mission of America.

For these reasons, I am writing to you. Though you may already know everything I am about to say, I need to say it for those of you who, after seeing fellow soldiers blown up or severely injured, may sometimes wonder whether these sacrifices are worth it.

So, first, let me set the record straight. Not since World War II have the stakes been this great. This is a war for the future of civilization every bit as much as the war against German Nazism and Japanese Fascism was. If we had lost that war, the world would have devolved into barbarism. If we lose this one, the same will happen.

It was a war for civilization then; the war against Islamic Fascism is such a war today. Of course, there are hundreds of millions of fine people among the world's 1.3 billion Muslims. But that is, unfortunately, as irrelevant to understanding today's war as the fact that there were millions of fine Germans living in Hitler's Germany was to understanding World War II.

It is not the fine Muslims who rule most Muslim countries, some of which are among the cruelest on earth. It is not the fine Muslims who dominate the Islamic schools around the world that teach that it is right to subjugate women and to slit Christians' and Jews' throats. It is not the fine Muslims who wish to impose a violent, hate-filled religion on others. It is not the fine Muslims who burned 13 churches in Nigeria just last week.

And sadly, most of the fine Muslims, including those in America, rarely condemn their civilization-threatening co-religionists. Iraq is the battleground for civilization. That is why our enemies are throwing everything they can at you. If you help create the first free and tolerant Arab country in the heart of Islam, they are doomed. If we fail in Iraq, we are doomed. Our enemies know this. We need to know this.

Second, don't be discouraged by America's relative aloneness in the world. The world is not, by and large, a good place. And the United Nations, which reflects the world, reflects that fact. That is why Libya, a police state that ordered the mass murder known as the 1988 bombing of Pan-Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, is not only on the U.N. Human Rights Commission, it is the head of the commission. And Syria, which is worse than Libya, judges us on the Security Council.

As for Europe, Britain and a few other Western states aside, the folks who gave us Auschwitz and Communism and who now bankroll Iran and North Korea hardly have a claim to moral superiority. Americans like you died for their errors. They never died for ours. And they err again. Instead of learning to fight evil, they have only learned that fighting is evil.

Third, we Americans are relatively alone because from our founding we have believed that we have a mission to better the world. And for this we are hated. We are not hated for our power; we are hated for our values and our sense of chosenness -- just as the never powerful Jews have long been hated for their values and their chosenness.

In sum, you are carrying the great burden of history on your shoulders every day you serve in Iraq. That some of your fellow citizens do not understand this only means that the war for civilization is taking place as much here at home as it is in Iraq.

We pray for you not only because you are our sons and daughters risking your lives, but because if God is good, and if we humans can discern between good and evil, you are doing God's work. It is as clear as that. No American war has ever been clearer.

©2003 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

UZBEKISTAN: CHRISTIANS SUFFER AS RESTRICTIONS TIGHTEN

AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Uzbekistan, a Central Asian former Soviet state, is over 90 percent Muslim. It has a significant Islamic history and identity, and its capital, Tashkent, is the Islamic stronghold of Central Asia. After the break up of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Islamic groups, especially Saudis, poured into the newly independent Central Asian republics to build mosques and madrassas as well as flood them with Qurans and Wahhabi literature.

Today the fertile and well-populated Ferghana Valley is home to a growing number of Wahhabi Islamists and militants. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) has close ties to al-Qaeda, and its stated aim is to establish an Islamic state across Central Asia. Also Hizb ut-Tahrir, which combines Wahhabi doctrine with Leninist strategy and tactics, threatens to destabilize not only Uzbekistan but all Central Asia.
Whilst Uzbekistan's government is 'democratic', it still uses Soviet-style corruption and repression to shore up elites and keep its grip on power. The government has also adopted harsh measures to counter the Islamist threat. Unfortunately these measures also affect the Protestant Christian minority. Uzbekistan revised its religion laws in 1998 and became one of the world's worst religious liberty abusers. However in August 1999, Uzbekistan released several Christian pastors imprisoned on false charges. This was due to international pressure, in particular from the US through its Freedom from Religious Persecution Act, which links aid and trade to religious liberty.

But after IMU insurgency in 2000, the government further tightened the reins on unregistered religious groups. Thousands of Muslims allegedly associated with Wahhabis, IMU or Hizb ut-Tahrir and their off-shoots were subsequently arrested, creating considerable distress, hardship and anger in the community.

Two political ideologies are presently competing for the allegiance of Uzbekistan's poor, struggling, nominal Muslims: (1) the Islamist system; or (2) the current 'democratic' yet repressive, Soviet-style system - the miserable status-quo. The people of Uzbekistan need what the Church offers: the gospel of redemption and the Spirit who transforms. Yet the Church in Uzbekistan is small (1.3%), repressed and persecuted. It is almost impossible for churches to get government registration, even when they meet all the requirements. Unregistered religious activity is illegal and Protestant leaders are regularly harassed and fined by local authorities. Christians who have converted out of Islam face persecution from Muslim society. They are condemned and punished by unofficial community courts, and receive no help or redress from the authorities. All 'missionary work' and Christian witness is illegal.
Islamic terror and insurgency have escalated in Uzbekistan in recent years. The first suicide bombings were in March 2004. As a countermeasure, the government has intensified its repression of religion. A violent religious crackdown started the day after the 12-13 May crisis in Andijan. But as authorities try to rid the land of destabilizing, politically activist Islamist literature, they are also confiscating Bibles and other Christian literature.

On 5 July, the last legal Protestant church in the autonomous Karakalpakstan republic in north-western Uzbekistan, the Nukus-based Emmanuel Full Gospel Church, lost its appeal against closure. An official of Karakalpakstan's Religious Affairs Committee told religious liberty monitors Forum 18, 'Cases have come to light where Christians from this church have promoted their views outside the premises occupied by the religious organization. This is not allowed under Uzbek law.' The Justice Ministry said the closure relates to a general meeting of church members held in a house 200km north of Nukus, which the church claims was legal.

Forum 18 also reports that Pastors Nikolai Shevchenko and Sergei Khripunov of Bethany Protestant Church in Tashkent could face prison after being charged again with illegal teaching of religion. Kural Bekjanov (19) of Tashkent, arrested on 14 June, has been tortured in prison on account of his Christian faith, by police, prison guards and Wahhabis in his cell. His mother, Gulya, on visiting the prison heard his screams and begged the officials to stop. Her son was thin and frail, with broken ribs and bloodied fingers and legs.

[Excerpts from The Boston Center for Adult Education Special Events listing]

Contacting the Other Side: An Evening with Psychic John Holland

Join renowned psychic medium John Holland as he explains and demonstrates how his abilities enable him to open the link with loved ones who have passed onto the other side and who all too often continue to influence our lives. When loved ones die, it's quite natural to want to find out what happened to them. Are they still with us here in the material world or are they in another place? What kind of place is it? John Holland's unique gift of being able to connect with spirit has brought solace and comfort to many people all over the world.

During this enticing lecture and demonstration, John explains some of the fundamental principles of communicating with the spirit world, at all stages of its evolution. Explore mediumship using the unique approach of John Holland. John is down to earth, open, and he explains how it works at every step of the way, with lots of audience involvement.

During the evening, John will cover topics such as:

*Is the feeling of their presence real or just your imagination?

*How do you recognize and interpret the signals?

*Why do loved ones choose to communicate at certain times and not others? Do they have the power to influence our physical lives?

Can we communicate with them ourselves?

Throughout his presentation, John will demonstrate his gift of mediumship, so members of the audience can experience live readings and connect through John with their loved ones on the other side.

You may purchase signed copies of John's new book "Psychic Navigator" as well as his best selling "Born Knowing" for an additional cost. Sorry, no discounts apply and no refunds or transfer credits will be issued.

[Considering that this event is presented under the guise of "Adult Education," it is well to remember Paul's admonition about the last days and those who were "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."]